Stephen Beck - deceased (1997)

(Son of Baron Rolph Beck, the inventor of Molyslip)
Some years ago, on 2004/01/19 I got an email from the Molyslip company, in response to an enquiry from me. I had been trying to find the whereabouts of Stephen Beck The email said, "I am sorry to report that Stephen died a few years ago. We are still in touch with his partner, Jackie Phillips: please let me know if you would like her telephone number/address."
The email was from a Peter Haig at Molyslip UK. He later said that Stephen died in 1997, from Cancer.
Stephen was one of my best friends at Aiglon. He and I shared a common interest in science, and in making explosives. We used to sneak out after lights-out - I think it might have been at the time when we were resident in the "Pension" (or whatever it was called) in Chesiéres - with small pieces of sodium or potassium taken from where they had been safely stored in oil in the chemistry lab, and drop them in rainwater puddles in the street. (Na and K react very violently with H20.) We had sufficient time to sprint off, giggling hysterically, and make ourselves scarce before the inevitable noisy, small explosion ensued, waking up nearby residents. If anyone has one, it would be nice if I could post a photo of Stephen together with this blog item. (I lost all my pix of Aiglon in a fire.)

Local Paper posts Villars Snowbiking

Hi,
You just never know what will get through to your local newspaper. Our Durango Herald newpaper recently included a 5x7 inch color photo of Snowbikers charging down the ski slopes in Villars during the annual New Year's Eve mountain bike snow race...We are a major mountain and roadbiking enthusiast's town here in remote Southwest Colorado.

Happy new year!
Todd Barbey (Class of 1967)

Todd Barbey + Reid Schoenfeld - plus Kneissl Red Stars?

Todd Barbey emailed me on 31st Dec. 2007 with some news and asked me to post the email and this picture.

Todd's news:

• That he will "try to become a member of the site" - if he can navigate it (he's a "...very basic Mac computer owner").
• That he plans to ski with Reid in Feb. 2008, now that he has recovered from the below shoulder surgery and two back surgeries in late Oct. and early Nov. 2007.
• That he has also enjoyed a number of visits with Richard Treadway, through the 90's, including two Aiglonesque Ironhorse bike races in a snowstorm in May of 96 and again in 97.
• That he he lives in in the mountains of Durango, Colorado with his wife, Bonnie, on their ranch and with 9 horses, three cats and three dogs.
  

From: Todd Barbey

To: Rebecca Leam

Subject: Micro Reunion

Dear Rebecca,

I thought you might wish to make note of a fun time Reid Schoenfeld and I had at our home in Durango in March of this year. Due to my shoulder surgery I was unable to join him on the slopes, but we did enjoy recalling many adventures during and after Aiglon. Reid graduated in 1966 and I did in 1967. In between us are my 1965 Red Star skis that I bought in accordance with Reid's recommendation then at Aiglon. After all the expeditions I used them on I find a need to keep them as a remembrance of the many character building adventures we had.

Together with our wives we had a lot of fun.

Best Regards,

Todd Barbey